He fought for you.

Dear Maliyah,

Did you know that even back in 1963 our Father was fighting for you? Fighting for your future? Fighting for you to be a part of our family?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day has become one of my favorite celebrations. I love celebrating someone who so passionately fought for others and what was right, but more importantly, I love celebrating a moment in time where our Father was so evidently writing your story and fighting for you.

Every year I sit my kids down and begin the discussion of what was going on in history back in the 1960’s and why Dr. King felt the urgent need to change things. To present such heavy information to such innocent minds is truly awe-inspiring. As I speak to them, I can see the wheels turn as they try to process why anyone would be that unkind to another person, and for such a lousy reason. They gasp when they hear that people tried to hurt Dr. King and his family and that eventually he was shot. They are shocked when they hear that people were hurt and treated unfairly just because of the color of their skin. And my favorite…they are filled with insane excitement when they hear about what Dr. King did, said, and fought for.

For a group of kids that live in such a sheltered area that greatly lacks diversity, it can be hard for many of them to connect with the impact this has had on our world, and this is why I share my story with them.

I tell them that this day, Dr. King, and that fight is really important to me. I tell them about you, and that without this drastic moment in history, you and me might not be living out the story we are right now.

I tell them that because of Dr. King and his boldness to follow truth and fight for justice, we get to be sisters. Because of him and the change he made, we get to do life together. And for that, I am forever grateful.

But it gets better because behind every great follower, there is a great leader.

You see, empowering Dr. King with his wisdom, his words, his opportunity, and his passion was our Father.

Our Father who deeply cares for each one of us. Who chose us as His sons and daughters. Who always finds a way to fight for His children.

Our Father saw you, Maliyah. He saw you way back in 1963, forty-five years before you were born, and fought for you. Fought for you to have a life filled with love. To have opportunity. To be a Colander.

The Bible promises us over and over that our Father will fight our battles for us.

“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deuteronomy 20:4

Maliyah, the God who created the universe, who put the stars in their places, and gives every living thing breath, fights your battles for you and with you. He fought battles for you before you were born, is fighting battles for you now, and is already fighting battles for your future.

Forty-five years before you were born He fought for your freedom, equality, and opportunity.

One year before you were born, our Father asked Mom to retire and called our family to do foster care.

Six months before you were born, your future home was not deemed safe and you were saved from having to experience any harm.

Two months before you were born, our home opened up for another placement and we patiently waited for the right baby.

A day after you were born, we got a phone call telling us we were being gifted YOU and that we could pick you up the next day.

Two days after you were born, we got to meet you for the first time. It was love at first sight.

Months following your birth, we fell more and more in love with you and began to realize you were created to be part of our forever family.

Eighteen months after you were born, your name change became official and we became a legal family of six.

And since then, our Father has granted you with incredible relationships, teachers, coaches, talents, and opportunities…

As life has continued to throw battles at you, He has fought each one for you.

He has always granted you the peace needed to get through a confusing moment, the joy needed to get through a defeating moment, and the strength to get through a trying moment.

Some of your battles have been fierce, and they will continue to wage war on you. Life isn’t going to get easier, but His fierceness to fight for you will never burn out.

When you feel like you can’t do it anymore, just remember that He is doing it for you. He only asks that you trust Him, lean into Him, love Him, and give Him your whole heart.

He wants you more than anything.

Give him that, your whole heart, and He will take care of the rest.

He is your refuge. He is your strength. He is your help in times of trouble. He is your counselor. He is your healer. He is your provider. He is everything you need.

Each morning this is what I pray over you:

Father, please help Maliyah to know how much we love her, how much You love her, and that she would love you with all of her heart.

In the moments you begin to doubt His love for you, think about this: forty-five years before you were born our Father gave one of His followers these words to proclaim over our nation:

“I have a dream that one day little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”

Forty-five years before you were born, our Father empowered a man to fight so you and me could be sisters. So you could be a Colander.

And that is why this day is one of my favorite celebrations. Because this day is a part of your story. It is a part of our story. And it is an epic testimony to how much our Father loves you.